Irish firm's plans on track for Boone County wind farm

BELVIDERE — Officials from an Irish energy company say their efforts to bring a $400 million wind turbine development to Boone County are progressing smoothly.

Betsy Lopez Fritscher

BELVIDERE — Officials from an Irish energy company say their efforts to bring a $400 million wind turbine development to Boone County are progressing smoothly.

Representatives from the Dublin-based Mainstream Renewable Power met Jan. 19 with Boone County officials to speak about their plans for development in the county’s northeast corner. However, research has been under way since 2009.

The company hopes to locate 100 wind turbines on upward of 12,000 acres, and it’s prepared to begin the permitting process in 2012, if not sooner, said Matt Boss of Mainstream Renewable Power.

“At this stage things are progressing really well,” Boss said. “We’re currently talking to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources regarding environmental studies and will continue doing wind studies, grid studies and carry on with surveys.”

The company expects to create a 200 megawatt generating development. Based on the company’s analysis, the project would supply enough electricity every year to meet the needs of more than 50,000 American homes, Boss said.

Roughly 40 land owners have signed on to the project, but Mainstream is courting a greater number of residents. So far, the project has 6,200 acres committed, mostly in LeRoy Township.

“A fair estimate is to say that’s half of where we’d like to be in total,” Boss said.

Longtime Boone County residents John and Carol Mulholland, along with Carol Mulholland’s mother, Agnes Meine, 91, have given their consent for Mainstream to use their land. Between the three, they’re giving permission for 240 acres to be used for wind turbine placement, said John Mulholland, 75.

“I’m not too sure we can keep using our food grains for energy. With the world demand for food growing, we need to look elsewhere,” he said. “Alternative energies are the way to go. I’m well aware of the fact we’re using up our natural resources rather quickly.”

Mulholland’s property is about a mile behind North Boone School District’s main campus and office. He was told a turbine, with updates, could have a lifetime of 25 to 30 years.

Boone County didn’t allow a previous company to set up wind farms in the county, but Mulholland said the focus, research and attention to neighbors is visibly different with Mainstream. Plus, he said, the company is looking to a less populated area.

“I don’t know that they did their homework as good as this company has,” he said. “This company is putting everything up front and they have a good neighbor policy.”

Kathy Miller, interim planning director of the Belvidere-Boone County Planning Department, said the company would need to apply for a special-use permit for a wind energy system before moving forward.

“They have to prove to us that they meet industry standards, have the financing to do it, have a plan in place for decommissioning,” she said.

Staff writer Betsy López Fritscher can be reached at bfritsch@rrstar.com or 815-544-3452.